Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1887-09-29
our letter to the lady contained the fol


row, we will rescue you hy rope ladder.
At o'clock We will attach strong line Ia
the end of your cord. Pull this until ih"
ladder reaches yon. The line will bc snili-
ciently strong Ia bear your weight. Place
the line over hook or post, but do not
make il filst. We will hold the end, 80 fear
not. The line will he withdrawn after your
descent, SO that no one will discover the
manner of your escape. There will be no
moon. Before daybrealS yon will be ON n
vessel under way for England. lfyou can
devise any other means or have any suS-
gestions TO make you can communicate as
before we will pass nightly until we have
some token from you. We are two who
have sworn to save you. One of us will as
cend TO assist in your descent If you desire
it. May God, TO whom yon have prayed,
nerve you 10 your task"
The next night we received the following
answer
81 will provide the ladder wlIch yon
| will pull toward yon by the cord. / have
J "A trusted eunuch who will assist me, rs his
| life belongs 10 me. Think well of the dan
ger. l have no right 10 place you in jeop-
ardy. In case of discovery, rope ladder
upon you would prove your guilt you
would be seized aud disposed of, none would
know how except the headsman. Your
crime and mine are punishably by death.
My life is nothing, nor would be missed,
but ycu have loved ones at home. Should
YOU change your mind on the night ap-
pointed God have mercy upon me j will
not live To see the light of another day. /
have often meditated this act. ! have felt
that God, 10 whom / have always prayed,
would deliver me, and that | would be
allowed TO thank him in his sanctuary. Ii
you do not find the cord, you may know
that | have been betrayed. If all is safe,
the cord will be weighted with n silkcn
purse containing jewels 10 reward yoa an !
10 assist me in my escape. Should you mo-
lind this token, il will be because | h.,yr
been discovered. Then be on your guard
against assassination. | shall not look for
| you until the hour named"
My friend, Capt. H., had fallen most des-
perately in love. l say desperately, because
he neither slept, ate or drank, nor would he
| give me any rest. 1t was reassuring TO me
20 see fellow so far gone / had thought
myself the only one who could he so ''crack-
ed" He was always At my heels, and had
become my shadow. l learned his whole
history. The cause Of his going 20 sea was
/ e
| schoolmate. who had been his beloved little
| friend from his earliest memory. Her pa
rents had moved 10 Moscow, and thence, ms
he was Informed, 10 Odessa, from which
port he had last sailed, with a cargo of grain
| for Falmouth for orders. At Odessa he had
made the most searching inquiries, and
learned that a family Of the same name had
gone 20 Alexandria about six years pre-
vious. He had been, until our present ad-
venture remarkably quiet and diffident.
He had told me that his difiidence arose
fs'aaa Ilaa -fa2t that he was almost woman
hater, and that he never expected 70 be hap
py until he found his early love, whom he
last saw when she WAS IL and he - years OF
age. His interest in the fair captive was
doubtless aroused by the fact that she
strongly resembled his early love.
The eventful night arrived. / gave a
supper nj the hotel 10 allay any suspicion.
Supper was ordered for twenty, and was
served at IL o'clock, which meant an all
night spree Wine flowed freely, and had
its effect upon our friends. At II o'clock,
by preconcerted arrangement, note was
handed 10 me by a servant. ] pretended
that II had been sent by my second officer,
and that il announced that my chief officer
had killed one of the crew. Apologizing
for my sudden departure, l promised TO re-
turn as soon as possible and finish the night.
My friend, Capt. H., insisted upon going
with me. protested, but he was obstinate,
and finally rs the company insisted that il
was not safe 10 go alone, we two left in com
pany.
| We arrived at the gate in our usual APP
parently drunken condition, fed the guard
literally, and passed through. a few min-
utes later we returned and had our cigars
and lanterns lighted, pretending that the lat
|
were so ready in assisting us that we gave
them another handful of piasters, and made
them understand not TO allow anyone 10 fol-
low us. They earnestly promised and we
started again, our hearts almost bursting
with rapid pulsation. We found the cord ;
n purse was at the end of II. So far all was
safe.
Running to the farther gate as quickly rs
possible, we repeated our former strategy of
bribes, and the guards promised us that
while we were in the street nobody should
pass them. Thus we had the field TO our
selves, with guards on either hand to pro-
tect us from interference
| We returned TO the spot where the purse
lay. 1t was readily discovered by reason
of its brilliancy, being worked in gold and
silver threads. A stout cord was attached
TO it. We pulled gently upon the cord and
drew down ladder made of silk.
The night was dark, not n star visible.
Thus far everything favored us. We put a
strain upon the ladder with both our
weights to keep it from swaying, when sud
| denly we felt heavy burden upon II, anu
in an instant n man in white tunic sprang
from the ladder and seized me by both
arms, muttering something l could not un'
derstand. Letting go his iron grip upon
me he took the captain in the same manner.
Then he sprang mp the ladder and disap'
peared.
We were so taken by surprise that we
could not have defended ourselves il occa-
sion had required it. Treachery or not we
did not know but we stood at our post
Presently we felt by the strain on the rope
that some one was again descending. This
time it was the lady herself. She sprang
lightly to the ground, and moment latel
came the man who had before descended
He was her faithful slave He fell on his